Clematis plant named &#39;Evipo056&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new  Clematis  plant with a compact growth habit, profuse, pink flowers, and continuous summer flowering. The variety successfully propagates from softwood cuttings and is suitable for cultivation in commercial nursery culture. This new and distinct variety has shown to be uniform and stable in the resulting generations from asexual propagation from vegetative cuttings.

BOTANICAL CLASSIFICATION

Genus: Clematis

Species: viticella

VARIETY DENOMINATION

‘Evipo056’

SUMMARY OF THE CLAIMED PLANT

The present invention constitutes a new and distinct variety of Clematis plant which originated from a controlled crossing between the female seed parent, an unnamed seedling, and the male pollen parent, an un-named seedling

The two parents were crossed during the summer of 1998 and the resulting seeds were planted the following winter in a controlled environment in Guernsey, Channel Islands, United Kingdom. The new variety named ‘Evipo056’ originated as a single seedling from the stated cross.

The new clematis plant may be distinguished from its female seed parent and male pollen parent by the following characteristics. The seed parent has light pink flowers, while the new variety has pink flowers. The pollen parent variety has a flower diameter of 70 to 80 mm while the new variety has flowers from 80 to 100 mm.

The objective of the hybridization of this clematis plant was to create a new and distinct variety for nursery culture with unique qualities such as:

1. Uniform and abundant pink flowers;

2. Vigorous and compact growth, making the variety suitable for container culture; and

3. Improved disease resistance.

4. [additional distinguishing characteristics]

This combination of qualities was lacking in clematis plants that were in commercial cultivation and the qualities have been substantially achieved in the new variety.

‘Evipo056’ was selected by Mogens N. Olesen and Raymond J. Evison in their clematis development program in the Channel Islands, United Kingdom in [selection year]. Asexual reproduction of ‘Evipo056’ by means of vegetative cuttings and traditional layering was first performed by Mogens N. Olesen and Raymond J. Evison in the nursery during the summer of 1999. This initial and subsequent asexual propagations have demonstrated that the characteristics of ‘Evipo056’ are true to type and are transmitted from one generation to the next.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying color illustrations show as true as is reasonably possible to obtain in color photographs of this type the typical characteristics of the buds, flowers, leaves, and stems, of ‘Evipo056’. Specifically illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawings are open flowers on a branch, flower upon opening, flower reproductive parts detached, and a seed head. FIG. 2 shows mature leaves, stems, and seed heads. Plants shown are 2 years of age.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

The following is a detailed description of ‘Evipo056’, as observed in its growth throughout the flowering period in Fredensborg Denmark. Observed plants were cultivated for a period of 24 months in 2 liter containers. Certain phenotypical characteristics of the variety may vary under different environmental, cultural, agronomic, seasonal, and climatic conditions. Color references are made using The Royal Horticultural Society (London, England) Colour Chart, 2001, except where common terms of color are used.

For a comparison, several physical characteristics of the clematis variety ‘Evione’ described and illustrated in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,222 issued Feb. 3, 1998 are compared to ‘Evipo056’ in Chart 1.

CHART 1 ‘Evipo056’ ‘Evione’ Flower diameter 80 to 100 13 to 18 cm Tepal upper Purple-Violet Group Purple Group 76A with a surface after 82C with a central central bar Red-Purple opening stripe Purple-Violet Group 71A Group 81A Tepal count 6 6, sometimes 8

-   Flower and flower bud:     -   -   Blooming habit.—Continuous. The natural flowering period is             generally from April to September.         -   Flower bud.—Size: Normally 20 mm in length. Bud diameter is             10 mm. Bud form: Elliptic. Bud color: At ¼ opening tepals             are Purple-Violet Group 80A.         -   Peduncle.—Surface Texture: Smooth. Length: On average 25 mm.             Color: Yellow-Green Group 146C. Strength: Moderately strong.         -   Receptacle.—Surface Texture: Lightly pubescent. Shape: Broad             funnel. Size: 2 mm (h)×4 mm (w). Color: Yellow-Green Group             146C.         -   Flower arrangement.—Location on vine: New growth only.             Borne: Singly.         -   Flower bloom.—Size: On average, flowers are 80 to 100 mm in             diameter and 15 mm in depth. Profile: Open flowers are flat.             Fragrance: None. Lasting Quality: Flowers normally remain up             to 10 days on the plant.         -   Tepals.—Tepal Color: Upon opening, the upper surface is             Purple-Violet Group 80A. The lower surface is Purple-Violet             Group 82B with a central streak of Green-Yellow 1B. After             opening, the upper surface is Purple-Violet Group 82C with a             central stripe Purple-Violet Group 81A. The lower surface is             Purple-Violet Group 82D with a central streak of             Green-Yellow 1D. Quantity: Normally 6 tepals. Size: 50 mm in             length by 25-40 mm wide. Shape: Individual tepal shape is             elliptic. The tepal apex is mucronate. The tepal base is             typically acute. Apex Recurvature: Slightly curved. Tepal             Cross section: Slightly reflexed. Margins: Entire.             Persistence: Tepals drop off cleanly.         -   Reproductive organs.—Pollen: None observed. Anthers: Size: 5             mm in length. Color: Yellow Group 2B. Quantity: On             average, 60. Filaments: Color: Yellow Group 2D. Length:             10-15 mm. Pistils: Quantity: On average, 60. Stigmas:             Superior in location relative to the length of the filaments             and the height of the anthers. Styles: Color: Yellow-Green             Group 144B. Length: 12 mm.         -   Seed head characteristics.—Size: 30 mm in height. 40 mm in             diameter. Quantity: The average number of seeds produced per             seed head is 60. Style Appearance: Plumose, semi-erect. -   Plant:     -   -   Plant form.—Climbing.         -   Growth.—Moderate.         -   Size.—Seasons growth attains 100 to 150 cm in height.             Average spread is 50 cm.         -   Stems.—Color: Juvenile stems are Yellow-Green Group 146B.             Mature stems are Greyed-Purple Group 183B. Internodes: 8 to             13 cm between nodes. Length: Normally 50 cm from the base of             the plant to the flowering portion of the stem. Diameter:             Normally 2 mm. Texture: Mature stems are ribbed.         -   Plant foliage.—Leaf characteristics: Deciduous. Arrangement:             Trifoliate. Leaf Size: Compound leaves are normally 120 to             150 mm (l)×120 to 240 mm (w). Leaflets are normally 50 to 85             mm (l)×35 to 45 mm (w). Abundance: On average 2 leaves per             10 cm of stem. Leaf Color: Juvenile upper Yellow-Green Group             146B. Juvenile lower Yellow-Green Group 146C. Mature upper             Yellow-Green Group 147A. Mature lower Yellow-Green Group             147B. Stipules: Absent. Petioles: Size: Normally 40 to 80 mm             in length by 1 to 2 mm diameter. Texture: Lightly pubescent.             Color: Greyed-Purple Group 183A and Yellow-Green Group 146C.             Petioloule: Size: Normally 15 to 45 mm in length by 1 to 2             mm diameter. Texture: Lightly pubescent. Color:             Greyed-Purple Group 183A and Yellow-Green Group 146C.             Leaflet Shape: Generally elliptic. The base is rounded. The             apex is acute. Margin: Entire. Surface: The upper and lower             sides are somewhat rough. Thickness: Moderate. Glossiness:             Not glossy.         -   Disease resistance.—Subject to any disease that normally             attacks the species. However the variety is more tolerant to             clematis wilt, Ascochyta clematidina, than some clematis             known to the inventors.         -   Cold hardiness.—The variety is tolerant to USDA Hardiness             Zone 6.         -   Heat tolerance.—The variety has been found to be suitable             for climate conditions found in the American Horticulture             Society heat zone 7. 

We claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of clematis plant named ‘Evipo056’, substantially as described and illustrated, due to its abundant pink flowers with good keepability, attractive long lasting foliage and compact growth, year round flowering under glasshouse conditions, suitability for production from softwood cuttings in pots, durable flowers and foliage which make the variety suitable for distribution in the floral industry. 